The MEARS RATINGSYSTEM or a similar type Rating System is very important for the NFL Scouts, and the NFL Scouting Combineis the first time that “Accurate Numbers” are recorded on these NFLPlayers. It’s easy to say someone can run a 4.4 or a 4.3 in the Forty, but before an Accurate Hand-Held Timing by a Professional Scout or either by a slower, but Accurate Laser Timing is done, most Forty times are less than Accurate. Technique is also very important and that is why College Football Players entering the NFL Draft will hire a Sports Trainer to train and teach them how to do a Vertical Jump, Pro-Agility Shuttle, or a Standing Broad Jump.

You can get a very good idea about a High SchoolFootball Player if he participates in a Legitimate Super Football Combine, but many High SchoolFootball Players do not get a chance to participate in Super Combines. If a High SchoolFootball Player is being recruited by 40 D-1 Schools, then you have to assume that he is an outstanding Football Player, but how can you give this player a MEARS RATINGif he does not have Valid Measurables? The answer is Very Simple! You either have to make-up or approximate his Measurables based upon his GameFilm Evaluation or Actual Game Evaluation, giving him the Maximum Points on most of his Measurables for his position.

Most High School Football Players don’t even know what their Measurables are and you would think that they would, but they don’t. Many times, a High School Football Player will list his best Forty Time as a 4.8 and then twenty minutes later run a 4.6 or better. Also, you must keep in mind that with a little instruction and training, most High School and College Football players can improve on their Speed Measurables by TwoandThree Tenthof aSecond and can improve on their Distance Measurables by as much as Six to Eight Inches.

In 2007, I hosted a Super Combine in Honolulu, Hawaii and one of my Super Sports Trainers was Coach Dave Cosier and he was a phenomenon at coaching the Vertical Jump. The Vertical Jump is a great indicator of how fast is a player’s Twitch Muscles and the Vertical Jump is an indicator on how fast a player can Really Run. The biggest problem is that most High School FootballPlayers do not know exactly how to do a Vertical Jump on a Vertex Machine.

After having great success in the Vertical Jump in our morning session, I went over to where Coach Cosier was working with the players and I found out that Coach Cosier was actually doing some unbelievable personal instruction with each player. In that Super Combine, we had 126 players participating and 28 players improved on their best Vertical Jump by six or more inches. When you think about that, it’s pretty astonishing. We also had six players who did a 39-inch Vertical Jump or better, including two who did a 42-inch Vertical Jump.

You can check any Super Combine in the country in any given month or year and you might not fine one player with a 42-inch Vertical Jump and we had two in Hawaii.

Then in 2009, I did another Super Combine in Zachary, Louisiana and we had another phenomenon Sports Trainer. In this Super Combine, Kelvin Kelly worked with the Standing Broad Jump and we had five players who did a 130-inch Standing Broad Jump or better, including LSU Signee Ahmand Williams who held the World Record 139-Inch Standing Broad Jump, until it was tied this year at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine when Jamie Collins of Southern Miss did his sensational 139-inch Standing Broad Jump.

Until that 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, I had never seen more than two or three players in a Super Combine with a 130 or better Standing Broad Jump, but this year there were 10 players with a 130 or better Standing Broad Jump, including the 139-Standing Broad Jump by Collins.

Whether you are a College Football Coach and you only have one scholarship left to give in your current recruiting class or you are an NFLTeam and you only have one Draft Choice left on your current NFL Draft Board, there needs to be a Rating System that you can go to and based on the highest rated player, would give you the very best player available irregardless of position.

One of the reasons, in the past, that the Dallas Cowboyswere successful in their NFL Draft was because they probably had more information on every player in the Draft and they were aways able to make more valid decision on each player, based on all of that information. Their philosophy was they always wanted more information on a player, so they could make a more valid decision as to whether to draft him or not. In this Computor Age, all of the NFL Teams basically feel the same way.

When I was a Scout with the Dallas Cowboys in 1975-76, we had a system and when I left the Cowboys in 1976, I developed a similar rating system that we had used in the 1976 NFL Draft. This was the Tony Dorsett Draft and we used this Rating System to conclude that Dorsett was our #1 Player in the 1976 NFL Draft.

Although I developed this basic System, when I left the Cowboys, I shelved the System until 2001, when NIKE Sports developed a similar rating system and called it the SPARQ RATING SYSTEM. I then decided to bring back my Rating System and I called it the MAX EMFINGER ASSET RATING SYSTEMor MEARS RATING.

ASSET stands for Agility, Strength, Stamina, Explosiveness, and Technique. These are the essential tools for a superior athletic performance in any competitive event. This new MEARS RATING SYSTEMor a similar rating system identifies overall athletic ability and is used by Top College and Pro Coaches around the country as an initial indicator of the athletic potential of an athlete on the football field.

“Max, we have got to set a standard for each position for every Measurable that we test at a Super Combine,” said Legendary University of Nebraska StrengthCoach Boyd Epley and then we worked on setting standards for each position. “The standard for an offensive tackle, for example, has been 6-5 and 275 for twenty years and although the players are getting bigger, stronger, and faster, we don’t need to keep changing the medium standard, said Epley, “but our ratings will continue to get higher as the players will achieve to get bigger, stronger, and faster.” So each position has a standard for each test and Measurable. A player will get plus points for every tenth of a second over the position standard, but a maximum of 400-points.

We can get a very good idea about a High SchoolFootball Player if he participates in a Legitimate Super Football Combine, but many High School players do not get a chance to participate in a Super Combine. If a High School player is being recruited by 40 D-1 Schools, then you have to assume that he is an outstanding Blue Chip Player, but how can you give this player a MEARS RATINGif he does not have Valid Measurables. The answer is Very Simple! You either have to make-up his Measurables based on his Film or Game Evaluation, giving him the Maximum Points on each of his Measurables for his position.

Forty-Yard Dash – The Forty-Yard Dash (40) is a test of raw speed, stamina, and explosiveness. It is a test of pure speed from Point A to Point B. Technique is also very important. This is a very good test of measure for all skill players who may have to run 40-yards in a game. The cornerback standard in the Forty is 4.6 and Dee Milliner of Alabama, Steve Williams of California, and Desmond Trufant of Washington all ran a 4.33 Forty and all got 270 points.

WR Marquise Goodwin of Texas ran a 4.17 and a 4.21 in the Forty and after averaging both of them; I gave him a 4.19, giving him the Maximum 400 points. In the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, Trindon Holliday of LSU ran a 4.21 and got 390 points.

Two of the most exciting and most impressive players in this Scouting Combinewere two offensive linemen who really put on a show in the Forty. OT Lane Johnson of Oklahoma ran a 4.72 and OT Terron Armstead of Arkansas Pine Bluff ran a 4.71. Since their Forty Standard was a 5.2, each player received the Maximum 400-points.

Two of the fastest players at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combinewere Tavon Austin of West Virginia and Marquise Goodwin of Texas; both in the Big-12 Conference. Austin started the Sunday Forties off by running a hand-held 4.25 and then followed that one with a 4.31. After averaging the two times, I gave him a 4.28 clocking, giving him 320 points. Goodwin placed tenth in the London Olympics.

Before 2012, only two linebackers had ever recorded a 2,000 MEARS RATING. In the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. MLB Martez Wilson (6-4, 250, 4.42) of Illinois and OLB Von Miller (6-2.5, 246, 4.46) of Texas A&M recorded 2,000 MEARS RATING as Wilson got a 2,030 MEARS RATING and Miller a 2,012 MEARS RATING.

Then, in the 2012 NFL Super Combine, Luke Kuechly of Boston College recorded a 38-inch Vertical Jump; did a 4.12 in the Pro-Shuttle; did 123-inches in the Standing Broad Jump; and did 27 reps of 225 on the Bench Press for an outstanding 2,009 MEARS RATING. This year, Jamie Collins of Southern Miss recorded some incredible Measurables, including a 41.5-inch Vertical Jump and a World Record 139-inchStanding Broad Jump and ended with a 2,015 MEARS RATING.

Vertical Jump – The Vertical Jump (VJ) is a test of leg explosiveness, power, and quickness. Technique is also very important in this test. This test is a good Measurable for wide receivers, cornerbacks, and safeties. The standard for an offensive lineman is a 24-inch Vertical Jump. Each inch over the standard, a player gets 20 points. In 2012, Southern Cal DE Nick Perry did an incredible 38.5-inch Vertical Jump and received 290 points. The Defensive Back Standard for the Vertical Jump is 28. Steve Williams did a 41-inch Vertical Jump and received 260 points; while RB Christine Michaels of Texas A&M did a 43-inch Vertical Jump and received 300 points for his Vertical Jump. Super Combine FreakDE Cornelius Washington did a 39-inch Vertical Jump and received 300 points. Goodwin did a 42-inch Vertical Jump on Texas Pro-Day and improved his points to 280 points. Justin Hunter went from a 39.5-Inch Vertical Jump at the Combine to a 40.5 at the Tennessee Pro-Day.

Pro-Agility Shuttle – The Pro-Agility Shuttle (SH) is a test of agility, speed, lateral quickness, change of direction, and overall body coordination. Technique is also very important is this test. An athlete should be able to do this test in about two tenths of a second faster than he can run a Forty-yard dash. Lane Johnson ran an amazing 4.52 in the Pro-Agility Shuttle and the medium standard for an offensive lineman is a 5.1 and he received 400 points. Super Freak Lawrence Okoye ran a 4.38 in the Pro-Shuttle while weighing 304 pounds and received the Maximum 400 points. Desmond Trufant of Washington ran an incredible 3.85 and he also received 400-points. You know a cough or a sneeze will last as long as Trufant ran his Pro-Shuttle.

Standing Broad Jump – The Standing Broad Jump (SBJ) is a test that is similar to the Vertical Jump in that it measures how far you can jump instead of how high. It is also similar to the long jump in track, except the player will not get a running start, but rather jump from a standing position. It measures explosion, power, quickness, and lower body strength. It is a great measure for running backs, tight ends, and linebackers. Example: OLB Jamie Collins did his sensational 139-inch Standing Broad Jump. The Standard for a Linebacker is 96-inches and he got 5 points for every inch over 96-inches, so Collins received 215 SBJ points.

I have never seen a better NFL Scouting Combinewith better Standing Broad Jumpers than the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine. Collins broke the World Record, but there were nine other Super Combine Freaks who recorded over 130-inches, including OLB Zavier Gooden of Missouri with a 131; WR Josh Boyce of TCU with a 131; WR Da’Rick Rogers of Tennessee Tech with a 132; WR Marquise Goodwin of Texas did a 132 at the Scouting Combine, but improved to 137 at Texas Pro Day; SS Earl Wolff of NC State with a 134; SS Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse with a 133; SS TJ McDonald of USC with a 131; CB Xavier Rhodes of FSU with a 132; and CB Robert Alford of Southeast Louisiana with a 132.

Bench Press – The Bench Press (BP) is a test of pure strength and stamina. The test measures how many bench press reps a high school or college athlete can do of 185 pounds or 225-pounds. Technique is also very important. This test is a good measure for every player on the football field although quarterbacks, wide receivers and cornerbacks do not need to excel in this event. College and pro athletes use 225 pounds on the bench press instead of 185 pounds. The points do not change. Each Athlete gets 20 points for every rep over his standard, but a maximum of 200-points. Example: Margus Hunt of SMU did 38 reps of 225 pounds on the Bench Press and got the Maximum 200-points. OG Jonathan Cooper of North Carolina also did 35 Reps and received the Maximum 200 points. Another 2013 Super Combine Freakwas SS Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse who did a 40.5 Vertical Jump and 28 Reps of 225 on the Bench Press, giving him the Maximum 200 points on the Bench Press.

Technique – Technique is also very important in every single event, especially in the running events. The Pro-Agility Shuttle and Standing Broad Jump is all about Technique. Getting a bad start in the other running events can make the difference in a great timing or a poor timing. Although the SPARQ System became popular, it still had some flaws, because the SPARQ RATING SYSTEM was not originally based on a player’s position, but his weight. If the system is not based on the position of the player, then how are you going to decide who the best player is at each position? If the RATING SYSTEM is based on the player position, then you will know how a player relates to his position. “You really don’t need the three cone drill, because it’s not needed if you use the Short Shuttle,” said Coach Boyd Epley.

“Quarterbacks and kickers are always going to be hard to measure, because they either do not go to Super Combines or they do not do well at them,” said Coach Epley. So these two positions must be evaluated very carefully on film or in person and their rating is going to be estimated. Max, you will learn how to evaluate them and give them honest ratings.”

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About maxemfingerrecruiting

My mission and goal is to search for that hidden high school football talent that has not been found yet. I then evaluate him and try to help him to get some publicity.
In 2003, 2004, 2005. and 2006, I hosted my Annual 7on7 National Championship. My goal was to get great athletes to one area where I could evaluate them and then help them with college coaches.
The only drawback was that college coaches wanted to see the hidden gems in a game-type highlight film and so the college coaches suggested to me that I host a real All-American Bowl Game so that they could view these talented players in a highlight film, playing against other talented players. It's noted that the NCAA doesn't allow the college coaches to attend All-American Games or practices and so the Game Film is a great tool for the college coaches.
In 2005, I hosted my 1st Annual All-American Bowl Game. In nine games in nine years, my wife and I have helped 549 HS football players to get a scholarship that came to our first Bowl Game practice without a single scholarship offer. This also does not count over 1,000 players who we have helped that did not play in our game, including over 100 players in the 2010 Recruiting Season.
My Super Elite Top Gun Camp idealogy, is of course, to get as many Top Football Players to a Top Gun Camp so that all of my coaches and I can evaluate them, rate them, rank them, and promote them. There will always be "Diamonds in the Rough" to be found.
My First Annual Max Emfinger's Super Elite Top Gun Camp was in July of 2010. The Camp was amazing and loaded with unknown and known talent. Many of them were invited to play in our 2011 All-American Bowl Game Classic.
In 2007, in my 3rd Annual All-American Bowl Game, a player by the name of Kareem Jackson came to our first Monday practice, without a single scholarship offer. Jackson decided to come out early and he became a #1 Draft Choice in the 2010 NFL Draft for the Houston Texans.